Writer, lecturer, and NPR Commentator Andrew Lam was born in South Vietnam where he led a privileged life as the son of General Lam Quang Thi, of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. At age 11, Lam fled to the United States with his family, just as Saigon was beginning to fall to communist forces. He went on to receive his BA in Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkley. He then decided to change paths and received his MA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University.

Lam's first short story collection, “Birds of Paradise” is due out in 2013, and a story from it was read on Symphony Space, Selected Shorts in New York. His book of essays, "East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres" was published in September 2010 and was listed as "Top 10 Indies of 2010" by Shelf Unbound magazine.

Lam will be discussing his interesting life story, which encompasses many elements shared by all Vietnamese immigrants. He will compare cultures, and talk about what the American dream meant to him as a young boy arriving from Vietnam.

Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Rosenberg Institute for East Asian Studies. Refreshments will be served. For more information please contact Ronald Suleski at rsuleski@suffolk.edu.